BFI London Film Festival: Taklub

Anyone familiar with Brilliante Ma Mendoza’s work through more outré films like Kinatay (LFF2009) and Captive (LFF2012) will see him operating in an entirely different register with Taklub. It’s a compassionate portrait of life in the Filipino city of Tacloban following the devastation wreaked by Typhoon Yolanda in 2010.

The worst hit were the poorest communities along the coastline and Mendoza’s film opens among them. Babeth (the wonderful Nora Aunor) witnesses a fire that kills all but one member of a displaced family and her shock at yet more tragedy propels her into action, raising money for the grieving father. Through her eyes, we observe a people who, far from defeated, are resilient and determined to rebuild their lives. With huge ships washedup on the roadside, an entire infrastructure in a state of disrepair and thousands still missing, the odds seem stacked against them. But Babeth represents hope and Mendoza’s film is a moving testament to the community’s spirit of rejuvenation.

The ICA Cinema is completely ad-free. Please note the feature will start following a selection of trailers and information relevant to the ICA programme. All films are 18+ unless otherwise stated

Please note that a three minute short film will be screened before the first main feature every evening. Part of a rotating selection that changes weekly, the films shown are currently on tour to various arts venues across the country as part of Playback